The second Monument of the year has arrived with the Tour of Flanders just days away and the scene set for an intriguing battle over the 270km from Antwerp to Oudenaarde.
There has been a reshuffling of the contenders after the testing of the waters at the run-in races, with some potential favourites have fallen down, or even off, the list while others have made it clear that their rightful place is right near the very top. Mads Pedersen and his Lidl-Trek team, for one, delivered a reminder of the power in team strength with his impressive Gent-Wevelgem victory over Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck).
The spotlight will of course largely be focussed on the regular rivals of Van der Poel and Wout van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike) who will be facing off for only the second time this road season at the cobbled Classic. However, as Pedersen made clear, that doesn’t mean there aren’t plenty of others in the field that could pose a threat.
Many have named the Tour of Flanders as a key focus for the year, though do they have what it takes to land a shot in the centre of the target? Cyclingnews runs the ruler over key favourites for the 2024 edition of the eagerly anticipated cobbled Classic.
The world champion has a record at the Tour of Flanders that makes him the most clear-cut of favourites plus he has delivered a run in that has done plenty to bolster his claim. The 29-year-old may have just started his road season in mid-March but it began on a strong note with a powerful showing at Milan San-Remo, where he may have come tenth but had utilised his clear strength to shepherd teammate Jasper Philipsen toward a sprint victory. Then there was a win at E3 Saxo Classic – a key pre-Flanders test given it uses many of the same climbs and cobbles – and a second at Gent-Wevelgem so there is no doubt he has already built back to formidable form after his post-cyclocross season break. Still, the fact that he didn’t win in Wevelgem, admitting he was still paying for the efforts at E3, has left his rivals with at least a glimmer of hope.
Still, a reminder of his history at the race could quickly dull that glimmer. His worst result from five starts is a fourth in his debut year, 2019. Since then Van der Poel hasn’t once budged from the top two steps of the podium. Wins came in 2020 and 2022, with the rider who kept him out of the top spot most recently – Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) – not taking to the start line on Sunday…
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